Harry Potter books?

[other one]

3 hours ago, missmuffet said:

What does the Bible say about witchcraft and socery? Is it something that God says is acceptable to do? When we compromise our faith we are going against something that is God's standards. Please show me scripture that says it is ok to read books and watch movies that focus on sorcery and witchcraft. 

the books are just fiction....       How about the TV show Bewitched....    is enjoying the comedy of that show doing the same....

[missmuffet]

1 hour ago, other one said:

the books are just fiction....       How about the TV show Bewitched....    is enjoying the comedy of that show doing the same....

Yes, it isn't right to embrace any show such as Bewitched or even Dream of Jeannie. That is the way our world is. And Satan loves it. 

[Guest]

18 hours ago, LadyKay said:

No. I read them.  It is fiction. They are About courage, friendship, and doing what is right even when it would be easier to do what is wrong.  Dealing with the lost of someone you love.  I am not going to argue about it.  If you have not read them, you wouldn't understand. So there is no point in debating it.  

Actually i understand. Yes, you do have a good point. 

[other one]

23 hours ago, LadyKay said:

No. I read them.  It is fiction. They are About courage, friendship, and doing what is right even when it would be easier to do what is wrong.  Dealing with the lost of someone you love.  I am not going to argue about it.  If you have not read them, you wouldn't understand. 

I agree Kay.

[LadyKay]

2 minutes ago, other one said:

I agree Kay.

Well that's a first.?

[other one]

8 minutes ago, LadyKay said:

Well that's a first.?

We usually only disagree over things political....   I'm hurt that you didn't notice...

[Repose]

My stepmom basically forced me to watch all the movies because she liked them. We saw the first one and I didn't like it. She insisted though, and boy was it boring having to sit through all of them. I can see why people like them, but to me, it was just bleh.

I agree with a few others here, in waiting until the child is a bit older and walking them through it. Though, you may have to try and gauge your child's reading ability. I read Moby Dick in the 5th grade, passed a quiz on it, and got an "accelerated reader" trophy. I didn't get the philosophical/symbolic meanings until I was older, but yeah. A short and simple book might not hold their interest. Though, I was also super into the Goosebumps books, which are... Very intelligent, I'm sure.

As for Harry Potter itself, I can't gauge the books as I haven't read them, but the magic isn't exactly witchcraft. They say something based in Latin, flick their little wands, and shoot a little laser beam. If even that makes someone uncomfortable though, I understand. It's more largely about coming together as friends and overcoming greats odds/evils. The magic and other hogwash is just background noise, part of the setting. I don't know if I'd use it myself if I had kids (again, didn't like it), but yeah.

[ravindran]

On 9/12/2019 at 5:58 AM, Melinda12 said:

Would you ban your children from reading them? 

I would. Spells, sorcery. Not what Christians should ever have anything to do with. The Influences on young minds is bad news in my view. 

The problem for me is that people isolate Harry Potter for some reason and assume other movies/books are fine. People who say Harry Potter should be banned generally are okay with Marvel or DC comics. They are even okay with Disney stories. All are fiction, involves supernatural magic attributed to something other than God. If someone says everything should be banned, then that would be a sensible argument. Now, Bible says we are in this world, but not of this world. It is delicate balance in exposing kids to these things and without them falling into it. I don't think there is one style method for this. It will vary from family to family, culture to culture.

[LadyKay]

Here's  a thought. The first Harry Potter book came out in 1997. And here we are 22 years later still having this debate.  

Edited September 13, 2019 by LadyKay

[ladypeartree]

Ok so I have my body armour on now and will wade into this for once. 

Most of the replies appear to think that Lord of the rings is a classic and ok 

It has wizards in it throwing magic about … the wizard that is supposedly a good wizard cant actually be told apart from the most evil wizard until you see the colour of his robes 

It has giant man eating spiders

It has weird creatures from other realms ( oh and it has other realms as well as the elves are off to live there ) 

It is a supposed fight between good and evil and shows how all are tempted to evil to serve their own desires ( look how the ring affects even the great Bilbo baggins )

The end is not a great everyone is happy ever after ...indeed most are not as they have to come to terms with all the losses 

BUT Harry potter is NOT ok as it 

has a wizard in it throwing magic about 

It has a giant man eating snake

It has weird creatures ( like dobby ) in it

It doesn't have another realm unless you count the train station that Harry dreams of as heaven ??

It is supposed to be a fight about good against evil ( another ring is involved and affects even the great dumbledor ) 

The end is NOT a great everyone happy ever after  indeed most of them have to come to terms with all the losses 

 

One of my grandchildren read all of the books with me ( NEVER ON HER OWN ) she was about 9 years old when we started them but she was a very advanced reader and critical thinker ( at 16 now she has just started the first of her university courses almost 3 years early and is reading Law, politics and philosophy ) She and I read each book a few chapters at a time and stopped whenever there was a good place to teach/learn about things like consequences, friendships, hatred , survivors guilt, death, loneliness, jealousy, after life , good and evil , even if magic exists and what the bible says about witches We talked about things like expecting everyone to fight even if they should be  being protected by adults, how everyone has their own personal "demons" to contend with , about unrealistic expectations from ourselves and others …. it took 3 times the time to talk than to read   

She was NOT allowed to see the films until she had finished the books and she herself came to the conclusion that they were NOT following the book in intent or script and were made to be much darker for the "wow" factor and dramatic license  unlike the lor books that were actually toned down for the film 

 

Is it to everyone's taste ? NO  would I read it with all my 11 grandchildren ?  NO but neither would I expect to have such bitter and adamant declarations of " its all evil " from those who have by their own admission not even read the books and either just watched the film or got carried away with the hype or " key words "